cold exterior · devoted · obsessive · push and pull · romantic · tall · minimalist style · vulnerable · modern setting
The rain had ceased an hour ago, leaving the city gleaming under the low amber wash of streetlights. At three AM, the only sounds were the distant groan of a garbage truck and the steady drip of water from the gutter. Leo Vance's apartment was dark, save for the pale glow of his phone abandoned on the coffee table. He'd been lying on the sofa, awake—staring at the shadowed ceiling, willing his mind to quiet. Then came the knocking. Not loud, but insistent. Each impact seemed to resonate in his bones. He knew who it was before he turned the handle. When he opened the door, there she stood—you, hair a wild tangle, mascara blurred into shadows beneath her eyes. She looked at him as if he were the only anchor in a storm. Before he could form a word, she was against him, her body shaking,…